Welcome to a thrilling journey through the breathtaking landscapes and captivating culture of Arizona, also known as the Grand Canyon State. Join us as we traverse the diverse terrain, from the bustling city of Phoenix/Scottsdale to the awe-inspiring wonders of the Grand Canyon and the red rock beauty of Sedona. Our adventure in Arizona is packed with exciting activities, delicious dining, and unforgettable experiences. Looking back at the trip, there were a lot more other activities I would’ve liked to do (which I’ve listed below), so if you have more time to stay in Arizona, I would highly recommend doing ~10 days if you actually want to do some hikes. Alternatively you can spend less time in the city (Phoenix/Scottsdale).
- Day 1: Arrival in Phoenix
- Day 2: Phoenix to Grand Canyon
- Day 3: Grand Canyon to Page
- Day 4: Page to Sedona
- Day 5: Exploring Sedona and back to Scottsdale
- Day 6: Last day in Scottsdale
Day 1: Arrival in Phoenix
Lunch: Drunk Munk – As we touch down in Phoenix, our first stop is in Scottsdale with a delightful lunch at Drunk Munk, setting the tone for our Arizona adventure. Scottsdale has been a popular bachelor/bachelorette destination so there is a good amount of bars and restaurants around. The food overall in Scottsdale is good, but not amazing, so don’t expect anything Toronto level.
Activity: Scottsdale – After our lunch, we explore the charming streets of Scottsdale. There are lots of different shops to look through, but you can easily explore through the main areas.
Activity: Tempe Beach Park – During our visit in December, there was a local market going on with delicious Horchata. We were also lucky during this time as it was the Christmas Lights boat festival where everyone would decorate their boats with tons of Christmas lights. This was the start of the Christmas adventure as we soon discovered every bar/restaurant we went to was heavily Christmas decorated which was amazing despite the fact that there was no snow (for the most part) in Arizona.
Night out: Varsity Tavern – We decided to go out in Tempe since we were already there. Tempe is also where Arizona State University (ASU) is so there is quite a good amount of young people in the area. We went to Varsity Tavern, a known local spot.
Where we stayed
Downtown Phoenix to explore Phoenix, but there ended up not being that much to see in Phoenix so we spent most of our time in Scottsdale. During the trip, most of our stays were hotels since we were 2 people and the price was around the same as Airbnbs. In Phoenix we stayed at Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Phoenix.
Day 2: Phoenix to Grand Canyon
Activity: Explore downtown Phoenix – Since our first day was around Scottsdale/Tempe, we had to explore some of Phoenix before leaving to the Grand Canyon. Honestly, there was literally not much to see around downtown Phoenix and it was quite empty (like emptier and quieter than Ottawa).
Other things to consider seeing if you have more time in Phoenix:
- Heritage Square
- Papago Park or Dobbins Lookout
After exploring downtown Phoenix, we picked up our rental car that we rented through Turo and set out on our journey to the Grand Canyon.
Lunch: In and Out – The started of the drive, started with a classic west coast In-N-Out Burger stop. Be sure to get animal style burgers and fries. This In-N-Out in Arizona was actually the best one I’ve had, where it was actually juicy. In-N-Out I’ve had in Vegas was not it. Disclaimer: I am a Shake Shack boy.
Activity: Drive to Grand Canyon and visit Mather Point – We made our way to the Grand Canyon and visited the awe-inspiring Mather Point to witness the grandeur. We didn’t have that much time before the sun came down, so we had to forgo any long hikes and saw the main viewpoints.
Dinner: Grand Canyon Inn Restaurant – After visiting the Grand Canyon, we went back to Grand Canyon Junction for dinner with limited options. Our dinner was at the Grand Canyon Inn Restaurant where the Mexican food was decent for the limited options we had. After dinner we headed towards our night accomodation.
Where we stayed
Grand Canyon Junction since it was the closest main town to Grand Canyon. We booked a “glamping tent” since we thought it would be warm, but I highly DO NOT recommend booking this if you’re traveling here in the winter. The December night we got there, there was no snow, but as the night went on there ended up being a snowstorm. Luckily the tent had a heater and tons of blankets, but we woke up to a crazy amount of snow that we had to navigate out without winter tires. If you’re traveling in non-winter you can check out The Indaba Glamping tent by the Grand Canyon.
Other things to consider seeing if you have more time in Grand Canyon:
- Oak Creek Canyon
- Sinagua pueblo ruins at Wupatki National Monument
- Bright Angel trail into the Grand Canyon
Day 3: Grand Canyon to Page
The next morning we drove towards Flagstaff – which is actually a big skiing spot in Arizona. Arizona goes from desert and flat (Phoenix/Arizona) to mountainous (Flagstaff) and back to desert and flat (Page) as you drive north.
Lunch: Wildflower in Flagstaff – We stopped for a delicious lunch in Flagstaff that was much needed after the crazy snow that we drove through from the night before.
Activity: Drive towards Page and head to Antelope Canyon – We journey towards Page to explore the mesmerizing Antelope Canyon with a guided tour by Ken’s Tours. If you don’t already know, the only way to visit Antelope Canyon is through a tour. This is for safety purposes as previously there were flash floods leading to dangerous conditions within the canyons, so now there must be a tour guide when you visit these canyons. Note: There are both upper and lower antelope canyons, personally I read the Lower one is nicer for photos so I booked Lower, but I have yet to visit the Upper. If you have time, you can do a tour that does both.
Dinner: Birdhouse – For dinner, we savoured the best-fried chicken ever before heading back to our hotel. If you love southern fried chicken and also Korean fried chicken, this is the place to go. This shop is owned by a Korean family, but does the chicken in a Southern fashion, delivering the best mouth-watering fried chicken I’ve ever had in my life. For dessert we also got their PB&J donut balls.
Where we stayed
Page is not a big town, so honestly you can stay anywhere in the area and everything will be a close drive. We stayed at La Quinta by Wyndham Page at Lake Powell.
Day 4: Page to Sedona
Activity: Horseshoe Bend – First activity of the morning was seeing the amazing Horseshoe Bend. This is a great place to take as many pictures as you want without people being in them. We spent a good amount of time here just soaking in the sun and the views.
Other things to consider seeing if you have more time in Page:
- Lake Powell
- Monument Valley
- The Wave
Activity: Wine tasting in Cottonwood – We then started driving towards the town of Cottonwood, known for wine tasting. The one we saw open was Burning Tree Cellars which was a great homey experience!
Dinner: Pizzeria Bocce Patio Bar – This was probably our favourite proper sit down restaurant (Birdhouse was more takeout style). We enjoyed the vibes and the food here which featured delicious wood-fired pizza.
Where we stayed
For the Sedona area, we stayed at a really cute Lavender Farm we found on Airbnb! It was actually in Cottonwood, but it was definitely close enough to drive to Sedona. The lavender farm was just so cute, as soon as we got in there were little sprays and lavender packs for us. Definitely would come back in the summer before the lavender is harvested. Here is the Airbnb.
Day 5: Exploring Sedona and back to Scottsdale
Activity: Explore the enchanting Sedona – We drove from Cottonwood to explore Sedona and its beautiful surroundings. We walked around Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village which was really cutely decorated during Christmas time.
Lunch: Mexidona – Lunch at Mexidona was our delicious Mexican food break during our explorations. Arizona was known to have delicious Mexican food due to its closeness with the border and Mexidona definitely proved it right. I highly recommend getting any of the tacos.
Activity: Red Rock Scenic Byway – As we didn’t have enough time to properly hike around Sedona, we decided doing viewpoints along the Red Rock Scenic Byway was the best way to see all the hype of the red rocks of Sedona.
Other things to consider seeing if you have more time in Sedona:
- 4- to 5-mile loop trail around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte
- Crescent Moon Picnic Area or Airport Mesa for the sunset
- Devil’s Bridge hike or Cathedral Rock
After we finished the Red Rock Scenic Byway, we headed back to Scottsdale and returned our rental car. We then sent off on a Christmas themed bar crawl in Scottsdale.
Other things to consider seeing if you have more time on the way back to Scottsdale from Sedona:
- Merkin Vineyards
- McDowell Sonoran Preserve
- Jerome
Night out: Coach House, Scottsdazzle canal walk, golf cart ride – The evening in Scottsdale is filled with excitement during Christmas time, where it rebrands itself as Scottsdazzle. There are many themed Christmas bars such as Coach House (oldest bar in Scottsdale) and decorated streets with Christmas lights! We also went to Christmas themed bars such as 50 shades of Rose and Giligin’s Bar. In between the bar crawl, we did a classic Scottsdale activity of doing a golf cart tour, where they explain every part of Scottsdale to you!
Where we stayed
For the last 2 days in Scottsdale, we stayed in Old Town Scottsdale at a spacious Airbnb that was walking distance to food and bars. It was really spacious for two people and a great price. Here is the Airbnb.
Day 6: Last day in Scottsdale
Lunch: Farm & Craft – This spot was pretty tasty and fresh, but nothing that stood out compared to the other places we’ve been.
Activity: Walk around Scottsdale – Our last afternoon is spent exploring the charming streets of Scottsdale looking into gift shops and exploring the boutique stores.
Happy Hour Snack: Diego Pops and Sunset at Outrider Rooftop lounge – Happy hour is a big thing in Scottsdale where a lot of restaurants have deals on food and drinks. We spent ours at Diego Pops, a modern Mexican restaurant with decent snacks and delicious margaritas. We then finished our happy hour watching a stunning sunset at Outrider Rooftop Lounge.
Dinner: RA Sushi Bar – We wrapped up our Arizona adventure with a delicious dinner at RA Sushi Bar, which honestly you can pass if you have Toronto sushi.
Overall, this was a great trip, but I do wish I had more time to do all of the different hikes around Page/Sedona. I’ll definitely be coming back to see more of the desert and red rocks. From the iconic Grand Canyon to the red rocks of Sedona, this trip gave us unforgettable experiences and mesmerizing scenery. Arizona, the Grand Canyon State, has so much to offer, and I can’t wait for you to visit it too!
VINTURE WITH ME 
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